


Trending Worldwide

by lovelyknow (celestialdescendant)



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: MasterChef!AU, Multi, i'm no chef or culinary major but i love masterchef and food videos, not for the weak of heart (read: stomach), please take with a grain of salt (pun intended), semi-detailed descriptions of food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:47:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26286685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialdescendant/pseuds/lovelyknow
Summary: Seungmin KimFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaSeungmin Kim(Korean Name: 김승민,Kim Seungmin; birthday: September 22, 2000) is a Korean chef, TV host, author, and vlogger. He was the second runner up (3rd place) ofMasterChef Korea Season 3and is a co-owner of a cafe in Seoul.See more
Relationships: Kim Seungmin/Lee Felix
Comments: 20
Kudos: 87
Collections: Jilix Ficfest





	Trending Worldwide

**Author's Note:**

> _PROMPT #7 : seunglix masterchef au_
> 
> Thank you to my betas Iggy, Jesse, and Miko! Without you three, I'm not sure I would have had the confidence to post this. ><  
> 
> 
> If you do not know the typical format of a MasterChef America episode and season, you will be confused as heck a so I suggest you [read up](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MasterChef_\(American_TV_series\)#Format) because I will not exactly go into detail on how the show operates.
> 
> Yes, I am very much aware of SeungLix's skills in the kitchen, but I just HAD to do it. In their defense, they're improving these days.
> 
> To whoever prompted this, I love you and I hope your food today and always is delicious. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

**Trending Worldwide**

1\. THEY WERE ROOMMATES  
2\. #MasterChefKoreaS3  
3\. 3racha world domination  
4\. #MastChefKoreaMoments  
5\. EXCUSE ME MARK TUAN

—two years ago

The first contestant to audition for MasterChef Korea Season 3 was a young man named Kim Seungmin. 

“Hi,” he greeted brightly as he approached the counter where he was to work. “Before anything else, I’d just like to thank you three personally for giving me an opportunity to join this competition.”

Several feet in front of him were the three chef judges of the competition, seated comfortably on stools on top of a two-step elevated platform. On the left was Chef Im Yoonah, who at 27 became Korea’s youngest 4-star chef. Chef Wang Feifei was seated on the other side; she manages 4 of the best restaurants in Korea and owns another 7 award-winning restaurants in China. And seated in the middle was the big guy himself: Chef Kim Jaejoong, owner of 15 restaurants all over the world, of which half has at least one Michelin star.

Chef Fei, as she prefers to be called, smiled fondly in response. “And we’re excited to try out whatever you have prepared for us.”

They let Seungmin set up his workstation for him to successfully plate his dish within the allotted time frame. He was so focused on making sure all his equipment and ingredients were ready that he didn’t realize he began mumbling aloud to himself. Luckily, the judges found him endearing.

Chef Yoonah cleared her throat, “Would you like to introduce yourself?”

“Oh,” Seungmin snapped out of his trance to smile sheepishly at the judges, “I’m sorry about spacing out. I’m just very anxious right now.”

“As you should.” Chef Jaejoong’s voice and expression was serious, but the upward quirk of his mouth indicated that he was only joking. “Let’s go with the basics, yeah? Name, age, and occupation.”

“Kim Seungmin, 21 years old, and I’m a university student majoring in Business Administration and Accountancy.” Then he added in an afterthought, “I’m also pursuing a minor in Photography.”

“You have big dreams, don’t you?” Chef Fei said, sounding interested. “Well, you have 5 minutes to plate your dish. Are you ready?”

One deep inhale and solid exhale, “Yes I am.”

“Nice confidence. Okay then Seungmin, your time starts now.”

Seungmin then wasted no time to turn on the stove where his large frying pan was already placed. Then turning to the other side of the counter, he removed the cloth on of his ingredients to reveal half a babka in a bread loaf pan.

“So what are you making for us?” Chef Jaejoong asked for the sake of the audience.

Seungmin was slow to reply as he was focused on cutting the bread evenly into 1-inch slices, “Well, I’m cooking French toast for you with a recipe I’ve developed and mastered the past 5 years together with my partner.”

“Did you bake that bread yourself?” Chef Yoonah asked in awe. “It looks beautiful even from here.”

“I did, yeah.” Seungmin sent them a smile before turning to whisk in the eggs, milk, and a little bit of orange zest for his egg mixture. “It was my first time baking it by myself a few days ago, and I was happy it turned out much better than I expected. You can have some of the extra pieces I won’t use for the French toast if you’d like?”

“I will definitely try it.” Chef Yoonah said immediately, causing the other chefs to laugh at her enthusiasm. “You said it was your first time baking bread?”

“It’s my first time baking a babka by myself.” Seungmin clarified, switching the whisk to his left hand so he could use his right to feel the heat of the pan. It appeared to be at the heat Seungmin was after because he then cut a piece of butter and greased his pan, all while his left hand kept whisking.

Great multitasking skills, well-developed kitchen instincts, all with a still clean and organized workspace.

Chef Fei opened her mouth to ask him about what he meant but Seungmin seemed to have some sort of mind-reading skills also because he said, “I’m not so bad at baking that I don’t really practice it, it’s just that I prefer baking with my partner.”

“You’ve mentioned your partner twice now,” commented Chef Jaejoong as they watched Seungmin dip three bread slices in the egg mixture briefly and place them on the pan with the help of a spatula. “Are they also into cooking like you?”

“Oh, definitely.” There was a look of pure fond admiration on Seungmin’s face as he thought about his partner. “It was because of them that I got interested in cooking in elementary. Everything I know about the kitchen I learned from them, so I _really_ wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them.”

“And does this partner of yours have a name?” teased Chef Fei, eliciting a laugh from Seungmin.

“Of course they do. But as of today, we haven’t really told anyone else that we’re together since we haven’t actually been romantically involved that long yet.”

“Oh, that makes sense. But are they here to support you?”

“No,” the smile of Seungmin’s face faltered a bit before he schooled it back to an easy smile. “They’re not in Korea right now, you see. Almost as soon as we graduated high school, they had to move back to their home country to take care of their relatives. I haven’t seen them in person since.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Seungmin shook his head. “It’s not that big of a deal, honestly. They have plans to come back to Korea when everything’s settled because it’s been our dream to open up a café or restaurant together. This was our plan even when we were still just best friends.”

“That’s so sweet,” cooed Chef Fei. “So is that why you joined this competition?”

A nod, “If I were to claim the title of MasterChef, the dream of my partner and I owning a café is going to be more within our reach.”

Not long after did Seungmin finish cooking the French toast, stacking them partially on top of each other in a pyramidal fashion. Then he added the other toppings he prepared: maple-roasted bananas, homemade vanilla ice cream, and just a handful of crumble to give that crunchy texture. And just to further accent his dish, a little bit more of that orange zest since it never hurt anyone (allergies notwithstanding).

He was done with a little under twenty seconds to spare.

“I deserve one of those aprons because if the other contestants are filled with determination and passion for cooking, I have double that. I’m in this not only for myself, but also for my partner and the hope that our dream can become reality.”

The first contestant to walk out of the audition room with a white apron for Masterchef Korea Season 3 was a young man named Kim Seungmin, a 22-year-old business major who put his future on the line.

Seungmin was a magician in the kitchen.

Despite being one of the youngest contestants, he had such an advanced grasp of flavors and was very innovative especially during the Mystery Box challenges. He doesn’t speak up as much as the other contestants, but he is a stable and consistent top contender in the show.

It was in the Mystery Box Challenge for the Top 7 Contestants though where Seungmin won the hearts of the whole globe.

There had been a guest judge that day, the famous Chef Bae Juhyun, or Chef Irene as she likes to be called. She’s the owner of the world renowned bakeshop, #Cookie Jar, and so obviously she had to give them a baking challenge.

“I personally think the cake is a necessity for any celebration,” Chef Irene said, smiling warmly to all the contestants. “And isn’t you being here in the Top 7 of MasterChef a reason to celebrate? I definitely think so. And,” then her smile turned just the littlest bit sly, “your loved ones most certainly think so too.” As it turns out, in the drawers of each of the contestants, they were photos and letters from a home they’ve been away from for weeks now.

Seungmin had expected a family picture of him and his family, but what he got instead was a framed photo of a pancake with blueberry eyes and whipped cream hair and smile.

_To my one and only Seungmo_ ,

_SURPRISE! Auntie gave me the honor of being able to write to you so I will make full use of this chance to tell you everything I want to say. I hope you aren’t too bitter about not getting a photo of us or your entire family. LOLOLOLOLOL! Honestly, though, you have a copy of all of our prettiest photos together uploaded on cloud so why would you need a printed one?_

_But there’s another reason why I chose this photo. You remember when this was taken? We were ten when you agreed to want to cook together with me, and this pancake had been the only good thing to come out of our two hours in the kitchen. You’d think that given our basic knowledge in the kitchen we wouldn’t mess up pancakes so bad, but the burn mark in your kitchen is living proof that together we exceed all expectations. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!_

_This might have been the moment when I fell in love with you._

_(Are you crying yet? LOL!)_

_I want you to look at this photo and never forget where you started—where_ _we_ _started. I’m sure you’ve advanced so much in the time you spent in this competition, but underneath all your layers, your Center is Mr. Pancake. Always strive for the greatness you were meant to achieve, and remember to keep your feet flat on the ground._

_We’ll cook together again soon._

_(How about now, are you crying yet?? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!)_

_I love you today and always._

_—F_

_P.S. I think Auntie knows about us already because she sounded so smug when she video called to tell me about the letter. LOLOLOL! Your mom’s a whole new level, honestly._

_P.P.S. My dad forced me to include that they’re rooting for you also._

_P.P.P.S. I decided I wanted to end on a better note so FIGHTING, SEUNGMO!!! ♥♥♥_

Seungmin never revealed it, but he was already crying even before he began reading the letter. Nobody noticed anyway, since everyone was busy crying themselves as well. Later in the day at the confessionals, Seungmin didn’t dare to read his letter when prompted. But when they asked him to give the story behind the pancake picture, the love he had for his partner was as clear as day. No wonder the majority of the masses started rooting for him.

It took a solid half-an-hour before all contestants to stop crying and the judges gave more details on the challenge. Make a four-layered cake in under two hours. Simple enough, yet not to be taken for granted.

And with his partner in mind, Seungmin baked a perfect Opera Cake with coffee praline buttercream icing and a chocolate ganache top.

It gave him his second Mystery Box Challenge win, the most anyone has ever won the entire season.

Some few weeks later, Kim Seungmin’s Garlic Frog Legs didn’t match up to the dishes of his competitors and he was sent home with the honor of being in the Top 3 of MasterChef Korea Season 3.

**Trending Worldwide**

1\. #MasterChefKoreaS3FINALE  
2\. Lee Minho  
3\. MX TZUYU  
4\. congratulations  
5\. #ChefLeeKnowIsCute

—present year

It’s almost at the end of audition day for the newest season of MasterChef Korea and there were only about five white aprons with still over twenty contestants that have to present their signature dishes to Chefs Yoonah, Fei, and Jaejoong.

Enter Lee Felix Yongbok, a 23-year-old interior design student. They were an Australian citizen who spent most of their childhood growing up in Korea, but went back to Australia for some time to take care of some family matters. They came back just last year, though, and has since been continuing their studies in a local university.

“I’m supposed to be graduating this year,” Felix later says in the confessionals. “But cooking and baking have been one of the few constants and driving forces in my life next to my boyfriend, so I’m taking this leap of faith to get that title of MasterChef Korea.”

In between their statements, there were cut scenes from when Felix was prepping an elegant box of a dozen chocolate fudge brownies topped with an assortment of toppings. The first type of brownie was topped fully with mini marshmallows with a milk chocolate drizzle. Another had finely chopped pecans. On the third type was chocolate cream cheese icing holding up a dark chocolate garnish. And of course, the simple yet elegant design of a white chocolate swirl. Lastly, some brownies were decorated with dark chocolate shavings with creamy caramel.

“I have a dream of opening a café, and I intend to go after it with everything that I have.”

When Felix finally pushed the box forward to the judges, on their face was a smile as bright as how delicious the brownies tasted.

“ _Bon appétit_.”

Not too long after, Felix came running to their family and friends who came to support their audition. They were wearing a white apron with their name stitched on the upper left hand corner, to no one’s surprise. Anyone who could make all judges close their eyes when they took a bite of the brownie deserves nothing less than the white apron.

Felix was given a chance to call their boyfriend later in the confessionals.

“I made it in,” they said without any sort of warning or greeting.

The Boyfriend (as he was later dubbed by contestants and avid fans of the show) responded with a simple, “of course you did,” in a voice that was light and melodious. Continuing on, “I’ll never let you live it down if you don’t make it to at least the semifinals.”

The laughter that Felix had then let out was bright and infectious.

“It’s good that I intend to win then.”

Obviously it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Felix.

This was MasterChef Korea and there were so many contestants who were just as talented and as passionate about food than they were. Mayhaps there were even one or two who had the bigger drive. But Felix was still definitely one of the strongest competitors in the season, so it was to no one’s surprise that they ended up in the Top 4.

The challenge day for the remaining four contestants started out like any other. They all arrived in the kitchen with their white aprons and stood, lined up in front of the judges who gave them a mini TED Talk on inspiration up on their podium.

“And what better source of inspiration than to be with people who love and support you?”

So it turns out MasterChef Korea went all out with this season’s Family Reunion episode by inviting their family and loved ones to appear personally on the show.

Standing in front of Felix were their sister and their father, and already they were borderline crying. They haven’t seen any of their family in person since they came back to Korea, so just knowing that they flew all the way from Australia just for them was a bullseye to the heart. Their dad being here made them emotional, because he isn’t fond of flying but he _knew_ that it would mean the absolute world to Felix if the one who had introduced to them the beauty of cooking was here for them. But what sealed the deal for Felix was seeing their boyfriend standing proudly between their family.

Felix launched themselves to all three at once and didn’t let go for a good solid five minutes.

“I’m sure you’re all more than happy seeing all these familiar faces,” Chef Jaejoong said, smiling fondly at everyone once all the excitement has settled. When his eyes landed on Felix’s support group, his smile turned amused. “I know all three of us judges are happy seeing a familiar face too.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes and put his arm around a giggling Felix. “Hello again, chefs,” he greeted politely.

“It’s lovely to see you again, Seungmin,” Chef Yoonah said sincerely. “How do you feel being back here in the MasterChef kitchen after two years?”

“It’s like I never left,” he joked. “The only difference from what I’ve seen so far is that you changed the couches up on the balcony.” Felix pushed Seungmin for the remark, and he responded in kind.

“Are you surprised that Felix has made it all the way to the Top 4?” Chef Fei inquired.

Seungmin shook his head. “Felix told me right after their auditions that they were determined to win the entire competition, so I expected nothing less. Aside from aunt and uncle, I think there's no one else who believes in Felix more than I do. I’m their biggest fan. No offense, Rachel-noona.”

Felix’s sister rolled her eyes at being brought into the spotlight. “Agree to disagree.”

“Sure thing.”

Later in the confessionals, all the contestants had a little something to say. But the most memorable scene came from contestant Kim Mingyu.

“I can’t believe I never realized it before!” he had wailed, groaning loudly into his hands. “I have watched all episodes of MasterChef Korea ever aired _religiously_ and I even hung out with Felix. Only after seeing them did I realize it was all right in front of me this whole time! It all. Makes. So much! Sense! _Now!_ ”

He had trended on SNS platforms that day the episode aired for being so relatable to fans. The other related trends that day had been #SeungPil and “OH MY GOD THEY’RE TOGETHER.”

“I didn’t mean to hide it.” Felix was a little shy but steady during the confessionals, fiddling with their fingers. “I just didn’t want everyone to think of me as Kim Seungmin’s Partner. Does that make sense? I love Seungmin the most in this world, don’t get me wrong, but I am _me_. I am Lee Felix Yongbok, a chef.”

The final four had to create a dish that takes inspiration from their families and loved ones. The winner of this challenge had the prize of advancing directly to the semifinals with their loved ones to witness. There was a lot of pride at stake here.

The judges also gave the contestants a special treat by letting them purchase their ingredients from Seoul Food Market (one of the best markets in the world, and arguably every Korean food-lover’s own Disneyland) with their loved ones there to help.

“Are you sure you only need three eggs?” Seungmin asked. The pair had always had at least one form of physical contact from the moment Felix hugged them, and even now Seungmin was back-hugging Felix from behind. Felix’s sister and dad were off to the side picking out the quail Felix asked of them, unfazed by the public display of affection.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Felix replied easily without looking up from the basket they were given by the judges to put in their ingredients.

“Well, you tend to get over excited when making breakfast food so--”

“Oh my goodness, please stop bringing up that _one time_ I tried cooking an omelette hungover.” Felix hid their quickly reddening face with their free hand as Seungmin laughed loudly. “And I resent that, by the way! That had been your fault as much as it was mine!”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, love.”

That had been only one of the two scenes of the couple to make it to the episode, and it left the audience with so many more questions. They had even more when during the cooking proper, Seungmin was actually taunting Felix from the balcony rather than giving encouraging words.

“Will you even make it in time, love? You were the one who told me back then that I had to be careful to not bite off more than I could chew, but it looks like you need to take your own advice.”

“What was that thing you said earlier about believing in me, Seungminnie?”

“No, but he has a point, Lix. We love you and we’re honored you’re dedicating this dish to us, but this sort of thing is _tame_ for you.”

“I can’t believe even my own sister turned against me!”

“They have a point, though, Felix. Is now the time to make such big risks?”

“You too, dad?!”

“All we’re asking is if you can guarantee your spot in the semifinals with a dish like that.”

Felix let out a whine and actually stomped their foot childishly, much to the amusement of everyone watching them. With fire practically burning in their eyes, they pointed to their loved ones on the balcony and stated determinedly, “I’ll make you eat those words!”

“Make sure your food is edible first, love.”

“Seungmin, I _will_ break up with you.”

“I love you too.”

In the end, Felix won the Mystery Box Challenge with a beautiful Pan-Seared Quail with cornmeal sweet potato pancakes and hand-made butter and creamed spinach, an elevated take on the typical chicken and waffles combination.

Two episodes later and Felix is a finalist alongside Lee Taeyong, a twenty-eight year old zoologist who stood out in the competition because of his knowledge and expertise in cooking meat. The two had grown close over the course of the competition, bonding with all the other contestants as they went through the weeks together. So it was to no one’s surprise when the two exchanged brief hugs after the obligatory handshake. Felix is happy that they had gained so much from the experience alone of participating in the contest.

“But obviously, I’m hoping to win,” Felix said seriously to their friends and family (their mother and younger sister also now flew in to support him!) when they were given a moment to meet prior to the finale. “So I would appreciate it if you all please actually support me in this or I might actually cry.”

Seungmin scoffed, but his hands were reassuringly gentle when he cupped Felix’s face to plant a kiss on their forehead. “You don’t need our encouragement to do amazing in the kitchen,” he argued with a serious face. At Felix’s pout, though, he broke into a smile, “But I suppose we can all do it this one time just for you.”

“Win or lose, do you think you can bake some of your brownies again?” their mutual friend Jisung said (begged) after the two finally let go of each other. “Seungmin just doesn’t have the patience these days to bake brownies like you do, and I’ve been _craving_ for months now.”

“Oh,” their other mutual friend Hyunjin perked up, “are you taking on requests now? I really love your baked mac-‘n-cheese, can you make me like two trays?”

“You all do realize that Felix might start charging you for all your food requests if he wins this contest, right?” Rachel asked with a raised brow.

“Oh my god, I didn’t think this through.”

“Felix, my broman, you give discounts to broke college best fiends, right?”

Felix laughed the hardest they’ve done this entire contest. A few more minutes of playful banter that wasn’t aired in the final episode later, everyone was to climb up now on the viewing deck so that they could finally start the final. Seungmin stayed back until the last possible moment, hugging Felix tightly with all the love and energy he had to give.

“Kick butt. Figuratively, of course.”

“Cheer for me, then.”

“You know I will.” The smile he gave Felix was one filled with so much pride, it took a lot of Felix to not go crying again right there before they cooked the appetizers. “Have fun, love.”

 _I love you so much._ “You know I will.”

**Felix Lee**  
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 _Felix Lee_ (Korean Name: 이용복, _Lee Yong-Bok_ ; birthday: September15, 2000) is an Australian-Korean chef, interior designer, and vlogger. They are the winner of **MasterChef Korea Season 5** and the co-owner of a café in Seoul. 

_Early Life_

Felix was born in Sydney, Australia to two second-generation Korean immigrant parents. A year after their younger sister was born, the family moved to Korea due to the nature of their mother’s job, and moved back to Australia when they graduated high school. Felix, however, moved back to Korea after two years because they grew quite fond of the life they had already built there.[1]

It was through Felix’s father that Felix learned to love cooking. As a work-from-home dad, Felix describes fondly of memories when they would go home feeling sad and their dad would ask them to help him in the kitchen to bake cookies and brownies together. In an interview with Global Dispatch, they said:

> “ _While my decision to go into the culinary scene was mine and mine alone, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my dad. Seungmin is my partner and always there to hold my hand and make sure I never stray, but it was my dad who led me to the starting point of my life and gave that nudge forward._ ” [2]

_Career_

After the competition, Felix went back to finish their undergraduate degree in BS Interior Design all while still going around the country attending events and talks as the new MasterChef.[3] The country, or the whole world if SNS Worldwide Trends had anything to say about them, quickly fell for their charming voice and sunshine personality. [4]

A year after winning MasterChef Season 5, Felix graduated as _cum laude_ [5] alongside their boyfriend **Kim Seungmin** (chef and part-time food photographer). In that same year, Felix became a licensed interior designer and began taking up classes in mixology and sugar sculpting. [5,6]

It took two more years before the pair finally got to open up their own café: **DaengNyang Café** in Cheongdam-dong, Korea. To this day, it is one of the most popular establishments in the area due to their innovative recipes at reasonably affordable prices even to “near broke college students.” [7] There have been rumors that Felix and Seungmin were going to open a branch in Australia [8], but neither pair has made any comment on it. 

**See more**

User kimseungmin_daeng posted three pictures in near succession one Thursday morning.

The first picture was the original Mr. Pancake in all his whipped cream beard and all. There was a simple “#tbt my center” as the caption for this photo that gained over 10 thousand cumulative likes and shares.

The second photo appeared to be a photo of a new and improved Mr. Pancake plated beautifully but with a piece already cut off. Only slightly visible in the background was Felix looking a bit surprised to be caught mid-bite by the camera shutter. The caption this time was a little longer, “happy to announce that I got the approval of these pancakes from the chef _@felixlee_nyang_ themself,” and the likes and shares were almost triple the first.

The third and final photo had almost a million likes and shares in just a little over an hour. With the caption “the second approval of the day _@felixlee_nyang_ ,” it was in almost the same angle as the previous photo, only the plate was now empty with only a few pieces of crumbs to hint on the pancakes there previously. And the beautiful Chef Felix was partially covering their red face with their hands, a grin still visible through their fingertips, and a simple diamond ring now wrapped around their ring finger.

**Trending Worldwide**

1\. #SEUNGPIL  
2\. oh my god  
3\. #3rachaForSeungPilWedding  
4\. i want what they have  
5\. #MasterChefKoreaS9

**Author's Note:**

> I have been a huge fan of MasterChef for a long time, and I've never turned down a video of it when it pops up in my suggested. I actually watched clips from the MasterChef World youtube account during God's Menu era when I had to stream non-SKZ related videos in between streams. I hope I was able to do it justice.
> 
> Seungmin's journey was based on Season 3 MasterChef America (2012)'s Becky Reams, a consistently top contender throughout the entire season. Her last dish was the [Garlic Frog Legs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzXakfIByh4) I described for Seungmin. His audition dish, however, I based it off Chef Penny Stankiewicz's [Babka French Toast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cFAYjQw2CA) which she demonstrated in the Epicurious video 4 Levels of French Toast: Amateur to Food Scientist. And the Mystery Box challenge I described was a mix of [MC America S3E13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DTGS7ve8W0) and [MC Canada S2E7](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nIrOzKjlH8), where I based Seungmin off Christopher.
> 
> Yes, I made Irene a famous baker because she's from Red Velvet. I put so much thought into it, please appreciate the pun.
> 
> Now for Felix, I based their journey on Mary Berg, the winner of MasterChef Canada Season 3 (2016). The video that made me decide to make Mary my Felix had been the [24 Cupcakes Pressure Test](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyk92GrIiDI) because it was a dish I thought AU!Felix is able to create, despite Chef Michael calling it monochromatic I thought the whole display was stunning. Added in that she was nothing less than a sweetheart and a bundle of sunshine, she became my Felix. But for Felix's audition dish, I based it off this [assorted brownie box](https://www.popsugar.com/family/Sam-Club-6-Pound-Brownie-Tray-46050014) from Sam's Club which I found after searching up "assorted brownies" in the Bing Images Search. The Family Reunion segment was also an [actual part of MasterChef Canada](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU34aOO0BOA) where Mary won with the dish I described for Felix only with waffles.
> 
> Yes, Felix is non-binary and uses the pronouns they/them.
> 
> I fell so in love with this AU, I thought about all these mini scenarios involving SeungLix and the other contestants and post-competitions and even behind-the-scenes scenarios that I hope to be able to flesh out properly into words one day.
> 
> [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.qa/auscelestially); [moodboard](https://twitter.com/auscelestially/status/1310701258240479232)


End file.
